🚀 Midjourney Office Hours Highlights: August 21st

The latest Midjourney Office Hours, held on August 21, 2024, unveiled a host of exciting updates and future plans that promise to elevate the user experience to new heights. From significant website enhancements to the development of cutting-edge features, the Midjourney team is committed to pushing the boundaries of AI-driven creativity. Here’s a comprehensive summary of what was shared during the session. If you prefer to just get the gist of it, jump down to the TL;DR; section. Starting with this weeks Office Hours Highlights, I’ve introduced the Most Exiting Update section to spice it up a bit. I hope you like it. Enjoy.

Most Exciting Update

For me, the most exciting update is about the Depth Control Net. It's especially thrilling when you look at the speed at which FLUX is evolving into a tool that can be controlled much more precisely than MidJourney (used in a ComfyUI Workflow, combined with LoRaS, and with an IPAdapter, and used in conjunction with Control Nets, etc.). There are so many possibilities that make FLUX quite a nice tool. On the other hand, the amazing UX of MidJourney's web UI makes it easier for beginners to get started and delivers results without the need to understand all the moving parts. And to be fair, MidJourney's new editor in the Web UI enables creators to do much more than ever before. Sure, FLUX works without all the additions mentioned above, but the ease of use when it comes to MidJourney is unprecedented.

Extended Recap

Here's a detailed recap of what was shared:

🌐 Website Updates

In a significant move, the Midjourney website is now open to everyone, with a free trial available for a limited time. While the exact duration of this trial remains uncertain, ranging from a few days to a week, the team is closely monitoring for any potential abuse to ensure a fair experience for all users. Additionally, the Rooms feature has seen notable improvements. The 'prompt-craft' and 'super users' rooms are now syncing, and a 'newbies' room with a daily theme sync has been introduced to foster a more engaging community experience.

🧠 Upcoming Model Releases

The Midjourney team is hard at work on several new model releases. Midjourney 6.2 is currently in the training phase, with testing set to begin this week. While the team aims for a release by the end of the month, there may be delays due to team illness. Meanwhile, Midjourney Version 7 is also in the training phase, though its timeline remains uncertain.

🎥 New Features in Development

Exciting new features are on the horizon. Video models are currently in training, and 3D capabilities are close to entering the training phase. These features may be released either before or after Version 7, depending on development progress. Control Net improvements are also underway, with a new Depth Control Net tested and a new version planned. However, these updates may be delayed until the release of 6.2. Additionally, a Drawing Control Net is in development, promising even more creative possibilities.

📊 New Rating Tasks

To enhance user experience, new rating tasks are being introduced. These include more granular options for evaluating prompt accuracy, coherence, and overall preference. Niche pair ranking for specific styles, such as Niji, is also being explored. Furthermore, the team is working on front page image selection assistance to better showcase user-generated content.

🎨 Demographic Aesthetics Exploration

The team is delving into demographic aesthetics exploration, with internal testing involving guides and moderators set for next week. A personalization system is expected to be released this month, though the level of user customization is still under debate.

🧩 Personality Test

A new personality test is slated for release in the next week. This test aims to investigate the links between personality and aesthetics, with ongoing testing of the survey and personality infrastructure.

📱 Website Improvements

Ongoing website updates are focused on enhancing the mobile experience, improving the Explore feature, and adding new editor features. The team is also considering UI tweaks for better variation control in upscaling and larger batch sizes.

📚 Other Projects

The storytelling team is making strides, debating between a presentation or an interactive release. Color reference improvements are also in the works, with continued experimentation with the Depth Control Net.

In summary, the Midjourney team is making significant strides in both current offerings and future developments. Users can look forward to a more engaging, personalized, and creatively empowering experience in the coming months.

TL;DR;

🌐 Website Updates: Open to all, free trial, improved Rooms feature.

🧠 Model Releases: Midjourney 6.2 testing soon, Version 7 in training.

🎥 New Features: Video models, 3D capabilities, Control Net improvements.

📊 Rating Tasks: More granular options, niche pair ranking, image selection help.

🎨 Aesthetics: Demographic exploration, personalization system.

🧩 Personality Test: Links between personality and aesthetics.

📱 Website Improvements: Mobile, Explore, editor features, UI tweaks.

📚 Other Projects: Storytelling, color reference, Depth Control Net.

Stay tuned for more updates as Midjourney continues to innovate and enhance its platform!

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